We Stitch These Wounds
by BelovedShadow
Summary: A love lost, a love gained. It's not the same, but it was never really a choice anyway. Sometimes, things play out the way they're going to and you have no control over it. But Sometimes, that's not such a bad thing. UCHIHACEST YAOI! Comp between myself and ItachiSasukeSama
1. You kissed the lips of evil

**Disclaimer: The Naruto Characters and themes are the property of Masashi Kishimoto.**

**Warning: YAOI**

**A/N: This is another comp between me and ItachiSasukeSama. Originally this was to be the second chapter, but I finished this one WAY before she started the first, so we've decided to flip them since it works either way with this plot.**

**The title is inspired by the song "We Stitch These Wounds" by Black Veil Brides. We weren't basing this fic off of that song, but we realized that the song really does represent this fic pretty well...**

**Enjoy!**

"It's late." Shisui commented as he opened the door to his shitty studio apartment. He received no reply as his guest simply stepped around him and walked inside. "I wasn't expecting you. If I'd known you were coming, I would have cleaned the place up... or at least put up the futon into a couch... or something." He added with a quiet sigh, as he shut the door and waited for some sort of acknowledgement.

Again, Shisui's words got no response. He studied his younger cousin carefully as the man walked over to the tight kitchenette and browsed through the cabinets. Dark eyes scanned quickly through each shelf, desperately looking for something that they knew they'd never find. With a sigh, the long haired man opened the mini-fridge and glared angrily at it's contents.

"Just beer?" It was the first thing he'd said since coming in, but Shisui wasn't one to complain.

"You know I don't keep hard liquor at home."

Defeated, the younger man took out a cold beer from the fridge and walked back into the living area- that also doubled as a bedroom. He pushed aside some dirty laundry and sat himself on the futon. He opened the bottle on the edge of the end table and took several long gulps before speaking again.

"Why?" He asked.

"Why what?" Shisui answered his question with a question.

"Why nothing _real_to drink."

The elder sighed. "Because my lover is an alcoholic, and I'm trying to be _supportive._" He hissed.

"I'm not an alcoholic. I enjoy the effects of alcohol often - there's a big difference." The younger replied flatly, before taking another brief swig from his bottle.

Shisui frowned. "Itachi, every time you come over lately, the first thing you look for is a stiff drink. It's not like you to be in denial. How much are you drinking when you're at home?"

The weasel looked blankly at his cousin for a short while before answering. "I don't."

Shisui crinkled his eyebrows in confusion. He could tell when Itachi was lying to him- and this wasn't one of those times. "Why not?"

"It would upset Sasuke. He'd rush to an inaccurate conclusions, just like you did- but instead of talking to me about it, he'd let it eat away at him inside without saying anything." Itachi watched as his companion grimaced at his words.

"You and your brother are certainly quite close, aren't you?" The man asked bitterly.

"Careful, cousin. I might misread your words and think you're jealous."

Shisui glared, earning a small upturn of the lips from Itachi. In a good mood, they were very different men- but in anger they were quite similar, even in fighting style if things got that far.

"Should I have _reason_to be jealous, Itachi?"

The weasel let out a deep breath, and nursed his beer for a minute before finishing it off. He then leaned back so that he was flat on his back, laying on the futon. "I love you." He whispered quietly, closing his eyes and shuffling against some smelly t-shirts that were now a make-shift pillow for him.

"I know you love me, Itachi. That's not what I asked. Obviously you're not against incest or we wouldn't have the relationship we have. How close are you with Sasuke?" Shisui asked, with an edge of uncertainty in his tone. He watched his cousin carefully, though the younger showed no signs of moving any time soon - he just continued to lay on the futon with his eyes closed. Shisui sighed, turning to head into the kitchen and thinking he wasn't going to get an answer.

"I wasn't expressing my love for you as a meaningless tool for distraction. I was choosing to tell you want you want to hear- in lieu of what you don't want to know." Shisui turned back to his cousin at the quiet words that he heard the younger utter to him. Heopened his mouth to speak, but changed his mind and instead walked over to the futon and sat on the edge, with his back to his lover. "You're right. I don't want to know about you and Sasuke. I already know... having you confirm it would only take me farther down a path of hatred."

Itachi opened one eye and looked up at the soft curls of Shisui's hair. They were so lovely. Shisui was probably the only person in the family to have little curls. Everyone else had spikes or straight hair. "Do you hate Sasuke?"

The question was directed to the back of his head, but Shisui could still feel the intensity of the other man's gaze. It was an important question- and his answer was also important. The only problem was that he didn't know _how_he felt about Sasuke- and even worse, he didn't know how Itachi _wanted_him to feel about Sasuke.

But hate was a very strong word... he didn't hate Sasuke. He barely even knew Sasuke. Well, that wasn't exactly true, but he only knew Sasuke as his little kid cousin - his lovers beloved little brother. They'd never had the friendship that he had with Itachi, and had certainly never shared the raw passion and _love_that he felt for Itachi.

"I don't hate Sasuke. He's like your pet fish or something, of course I don't hate him. I don't even know him well enough to hate him."

Itachi closed his eye again and reached forward- blindly grabbing hold of his cousin's arm and pulling the older man down forcefully onto the massive heap of laundry. Shisui yawned and scooted close to the warm body beside him. "Okay, let me revise my previous statement a bit- I don't hate Sasuke. However, I _do_hate sharing you with him." He said in a quiet sulky voice, closing his eyes briefly as he inhaled Itachi's scent. Despite the fact he was annoyed with the younger male, he still couldn't resist being close to him.

"Why?" Itachi asked tiredly. He sat up, and threw his legs off of the futon, lifting the now empty beer bottle to his lips for a second before remembering that he'd already drained the whole thing. With a slightly annoyed glance at the not-quite-clear pathway leading to the kitchenette he tossed the bottle towards the general direction of the trashcan- where it landed on a tattered and ratty old duvet with a soft thud. He then made his way to the refrigerator and helped himself to another beer. This time, he stood still and gulped down the bottle in it's entirety, then reached for another. As he did all this, Shisui ranted.

"The hell do you mean _why?_It's not fair!" He spat, sitting up on the futon and glaring at his cousin/lover with a hard and icy gleam in his eyes. "I've known you longer. I know you _better_. I've _loved_ you longer. I've done more for you. I understand what it's like to live in this fucking world for some time, I mean for god's sake, Itachi - Sasuke _just_ turned eighteen this summer! He can't possibly know how to please you! He hasn't even had enough time to experiment with his own sexuality yet! He's a baby! And you've made your relationship with him painfully obvious, but you never came out and told me - and I bet you've never told him about _us_either!" Shisui ceased his rambling for a moment to frown as Itachi finished off the beer and reached for the next.

"Really, Sweetie, you've gotta stop drinking."

The weasel merely gave his lover a gentle smile. It fell away though, as he coughed a little into his hand and then looked down at it with a barely hidden, slightly worried frown - turning to the sink to wash up a bit before making the journey back to the futon.

"It's not like I'm getting drunk. I'm drinking just exactly as much as I'm meaning to... don't think I'm losing control or something Shisui." Itachi said without looking at his cousin, already knowing the older male was watching him avidly and narrowing his eyes at him.

"Don't use your drinking problem to change the subject. We were talking about Sasuke."

Itachi nodded, grabbing handfuls of the clothes that were laid all over the futon and throwing them to the even bigger pile of laundry that was building up in the middle of the floor.

"No, actually _you_were talking about Sasuke. Aren't you done yet?" He asked with a tired sigh.

Shisui glared, in truth quite hurt that Itachi didn't want to hear the rest of his anti-Sasuke speech. "Just fucking tell me then! What percentage of your heart do I get to claim then, huh? Fifty percent, right? Or is it split sixty forty. Do I have forty percent of your heart, then?"

Itachi ignored his cousin until he finished up with his disposal of the mess and climbed into the futon. He immediately pulled Shisui close to his chest and hovered his lips over the elders ear. "When I'm with you, you have one hundred and ten percent of my heart, my body, my soul, and my mind. When I'm with you- you are my _only_priority. I'm not a good enough man to actually be able to make a list in order. When I'm yours, I'm forever yours - and when I'm not, then I'm not." He said quietly, pressing a soft kiss to Shisui's temple once he was done before pulling away slightly to look at his cousin with a composed, blank expression.

Shisui nodded, not sure how he was going to process that information. He'd always suspected that Itachi's beloved little brother was a bit more _beloved_than _little brother._Still, it was almost offensive that the man talked about it so casually.

"If you're sleeping here then be a good boy and turn out the lights, please." Itachi reached for the light switch next to where they were lying.

"That switch doesn't work, you have to actually get up and flick off each lamp separately."

Itachi growled in annoyance and rose again. This meant he'd now have to climb over all the shit he'd _just_moved off of the futon.

"This place is a fucking wreck. I know you won't accept any of our grandfather's inheritance from me while I'm still around to offer it- but I'll remember to will you a better home when I die." He muttered darkly, as he simply kicked the laundry aside - his annoyance making his indifferent to causing more mess in the tiny apartment.

"Shut up, Itachi. By the time you're dead I'll definitely be out of this shitty apartment."

Itachi flicked off the last light and managed to maneuver back to his lover's side once more. "I certainly hope so. I worry a lot about what'll become of you after my time is done on this earth." Itachi mumbled in concern, pulling Shisui's body in closer and pecking him on the temple.

"Don't trouble your mind about thoughts like that right now. Just go to sleep, okay?"

Itachi nodded somewhat obediently and scrunched up his toes a little until he heard a satisfying crack. He'd have to do the same with his back soon. He fucking _hated_futons- but he loved Shisui... and at that moment, that's what mattered the most.

**A/N: Thanks for reading! Please bless us with reviews! We have two other chapter fics in progress together, one titled "Watching Them Watching Us" on my profile and one called "Konoha High School Host Club" on hers. Please check out both, and take our polls. **

**Love you for reading!**

**-Beloved and ItachiSasukeSama**


	2. Two months is all the same

**A/N: For the first... four... chapters this fic is gonna seem kind of all over the place- but trust us, we know exactly where we're going with it. This chapter has been pretty much finished since the day we updated the first one, but we spaced it out a little so that you guys would review, and we'll be doing that all the time. So seriously- when I say that reviewing earns you updates, I MEAN it.**

**Enjoy!**

Itachi sighed as he walked into his home and shut the door behind him, leaning his back up against it for a moment as he gazed at the floor in thought. It was still the early hours of the morning, he had left Shisui's before his lover woke and headed home so his little brother wouldn't realise he had gone out overnight. He pushed off the door and kicked off his shoes, sliding them over to the side of the door ready for when he would have to go out again tomorrow. He then headed into the kitchen, quietly hanging his keys up on the hook in the hall on his way past. He went to the fridge and opened it, staring blankly at the contents before sighing once more and shutting it again. He walked to the cupboard and grabbed a glass, filling it with water and then taking a sip as he shut off the tap.

He turned around and almost choked when he saw Sasuke standing in the doorway, a pouty frown on his face and his arms folded over his chest as he tapped his foot against the floor. He managed to keep his composure as he watched his little brother stomp his way through the kitchen, before coming to a stop just in front of him - his hands on his hips like he was scolding a naughty child. Itachi's lips curled upwards slightly at his adorable attempt at seeming angry.

"Where were you?" Sasuke demanded, glaring up at the elder with a faint pink tinge to his cheeks. Itachi's small smirk grew as he ruffled the boys hair and set his glass down on the side.

"Well someone is a naughty boy. Why is it that your up this early, exactly?" Itachi asked, loosely draping his arms around the boys neck. Sasuke blushed deeper as his brother pulled him into a tight hug and buried his nose into the side of his throat.

"I- I woke up a few hours ago... I couldn't find you, so I just waited... Nii-san?" Sasuke tried to ease himself back a little so he could see his brother better, but Itachi tightened his hold and just pulled him closer, so he wrapped his arms around the elders waist and hugged him back - leaning his cheek on the top of the elders head as Itachi quietly held him for awhile.

"Forgive me Sasuke... I had to go out." Itachi said quietly, before he began to softly kiss the boys throat. Sasuke rolled his eyes, trust his brother to state the obvious as his only verbal response - the man never was one for talking more than was necessary. He sighed as Itachi's lips caressed the soft flesh of his throat, leaving a tingling trail all the way up to his jaw - before Itachi finally raised his head and looked at him, pressing their lips together in a soft kiss before leaning his forehead forward against his own.

"Are you ready to go back to bed, or are you staying up for a bit?" Itachi asked softly, rubbing his thumb along the boys cheek. Sasuke thought for a moment, before he smiled and kissed his brother lightly.

"Can we watch a film? We have so many we haven't even watched... and we don't get enough time in the evenings." He said, blushing slightly as he finished his sentence. Itachi nodded his head, picking up his glass of water as Sasuke laced their fingers together on one hand and led him to the living room. He released his brother as Sasuke went to pick a film and he settled himself on the couch, groaning quietly as his aching body hit the soft cushions. He took a sip of his water and then set the glass down on the small coffee table beside the couch, leaning back to stretch out his sore muscles. He smiled and turned to Sasuke as the boy curled up beside him, raising his arm and letting the boy lean into his side as he wrapped his arm around the boys shoulders.

"So, what are we watching then Otouto?" He asked, smiling as Sasuke ran his hands over his chest and then slid them down across his stomach before finally wrapping them around his waist.

"Memento Mori." Sasuke said, as he snuggled into Itachi's side and rested his head on the elders chest. Itachi looked down at his brother with a raised brow that the younger didn't see.

"Isn't it a little early for that?" He asked, not expecting his little brother to pick a horror at 4am- and also a little set out of sorts by the title of the film. _Momento Mori_it was a latin phrase. 'remember you will die'. It wasn't exactly the type of thought that he wanted to have at that moment.

"Actually I would say it's perfect timing, it can just be a late night-er... and besides - your here to protect me from the spooky bits!" Sasuke said, flashing a smirk up at his brother before turning his attention back to the TV. Itachi rolled his eyes and hugged his brother tighter against his side, as the opening credits started.

And hour and a half later saw Itachi staring blankly up at the ceiling as he sat on the couch with his little brother curled in his lap, having fallen fast asleep. His head tilted back onto the back of the couch, as his fingers idly stroked through the boys messy spikes. He loved those spikes, they were surprisingly soft compared to the spikes of their relatives. He raised his head and looked down at his little brother as a soft purring started up. He smiled at his little brother's cute expression, the boy was just like a kitten - pet it enough and it would soon show its contentment. He glanced at the TV and shut off the DVD, having paused it when Sasuke first fell asleep. He turned the sound off and flipped through some channels, though he didn't find anything interesting so he just left it on some random cartoons.

Itachi frowned as his throat began to tickle with the signs of an imminent need to cough, which was annoying because he didn't want to disturb Sasuke. He shifted a little, trying to turn to reach for his glass without disturbing the sleeping Uchiha in his lap. He was too slow however, his throat rasped as his cough built. His hand slipped and knocked over his glass on the coffee table, making Sasuke jump as he was startled awake by the clatter of the glass on the wooden table. Itachi quickly used the opportunity to get up and grab the glass, covering his mouth with his hand as he began to cough quietly.

"Aniki?" Sasuke called sleepily, concern flashing across his eyes as he noticed his brother coughing. Itachi nodded and held out his glass, silently asking for a refill. Sasuke sprang off the couch and hurried to get his brother a drink. Itachi watched him go and then made for the bathroom, locking himself in as he turned on the tap and cupped his hand in the stream for a moment - before sipping the caught water to wet his dry mouth. He spat it out into the sink moments later, before he rinsed his hand and wiped his mouth on some toilet roll that he grabbed from the rack.

"Itachi? Are you alright?" He winced at Sasuke's concerned little voice, and threw the tissue in the toilet before he flushed it. He then checked his reflection in the mirror quickly, to make sure there was nothing in his appearance that would worry his brother,before he turned to unlock the door. He smiled down at his brother and took the glass of water from him, draining the whole thing quickly. "Nii-san?"

"Relax Sasuke, I'm fine - I just got a dry throat from not drinking much today, that's all. I'm sorry I scared you Otouto..." Itachi said, ruffling the boys spikes before sliding his hand lower to cup his cheek. "I'm fine." He said again, seeing the concern still linger in his brothers eyes. Sasuke smiled, seeming satisfied that Itachi was indeed alright at last.

"Come on Otouto, back to bed." Itachi chuckled at his brothers happy expression, dropping his hand as he headed out the bathroom to go put his glass back in the kitchen as Sasuke did as bid and headed off to get ready for bed. He filled his glass and swiftly drank it one last time, before he left it in the sink to be cleaned tomorrow. Then he headed upstairs to join his little brother.

Sasuke was already curled up under the covers when he got there, watching the door and waiting for him so that he could cuddle up to his side. Itachi's lips curved upwards in a small smile as he removed his shirt and trousers, followed by his socks. Sasuke was staring pointedly at his boxers, a deep rouge blush forming before he ducked his head under the covers. Itachi chuckled and climbed into bed beside him, immediately feeling the younger scoot closer to him.

"Your so cute." Itachi said quietly, lifting the covers to find Sasuke glaring up at him.

"I am not!" He huffed, before he buried his red face into Itachi's chest. Itachi wrapped his arms around the boys waist and pulled him close, resting his head atop the boys soft spikes.

"Nii-san...?" Itachi sighed and waited patiently for the question he knew was coming. "Are you _sure_your ok...? I just want to make sure... I believe you when you say you are but, I still worry - your my only brother and my lover... without you I don't know what I would do." Itachi squeezed Sasuke's shoulders and rubbed his hands over the boys back, kissing the top of his head softly.

"Sasuke... I'm fine. You don't need to worry about me... I'm the one who should be worrying about _you._What would you do without me..?" Itachi said quietly, he knew that some people might have considered that question to be rude, but they were both quite aware of the fact that Sasuke was dependant on his big brother. What _would_the younger Uchiha do if Itachi were to disappear from his life? Who would look after him?

"Don't worry Nii-san... I know your not going to leave me here all alone. Besides - there's loads of time for us to talk about this sort of stuff... let's not worry about it now, we'll only feel bad before bed." The boy said, kissing Itachi's chest softly as he tangled his legs with his brothers.

"Your right. Goodnight Otouto, sleep well..." Itachi muttered, as Sasuke sighed and slipped off to sleep. Itachi nuzzled his hair and kissed the top of his head once more, his lips lingering on the boys soft skin for a moment before he closed his eyes and let himself drift off with his brother, hoping that dreams would bring him more peace than the waking world.

**A/N:~ Have I ever expressed my love for Uchiha's? I'm sure I have - but just in case I haven't I shall hereby enlighten you... I love Uchiha's. Especially Itachi... but Shisui, Sasuke, Madara and Izuna all share a spot just under him. I just think they are completely and utterly delightful and edible and just... yum.****  
><strong>**I am pleased we can offer you this second chapter, I am fairly pleased with how this is turning out. I hope**_**you**_**are all enjoying it too! It would be lovely to hear from you if you are as we value everyone's opinion...**

**But anyway - I am going to disappear and leave you in the much more capable hands of BelovedShadow now, seeing as it is her profile and I don't want to fill it with my spam... I humbly request that you please take our polls and review!**

**-ItachiSasukeSama**

**Yeah I don't have much to add. Cept that I want my poll to be taken. Like seriously... I REALLY want you to TAKE MY POLL! **

**-Beloved**

**We love you!**

**-Both of us**


	3. Begged For The Man's Approval

**A/N: Read this… or don't… whatever. **

There was little noise made, when the door clicked closed behind the quiet intruder. He briefly glanced up the stairs that lie ahead of him, further down the hallway - before turning left and slowly making his way towards what he knew to be a rather cozy study. He reached the doorway to the room he sought and reached for the handle, not pausing to knock before simply entering.

"Well, this is a pleasant surprise, pet." Came the deep rumble of amusement from the man who was seated in an overly large and very elegant armchair, which was facing the door and looked an awful lot more like a throne than a mere seat. The man, who was watching his unexpected guest with amused yet lustful eyes - took a sip from a glass of what was no doubt the finest of Scotch's, before the corners of his lips curled into a devious smirk.

"I suppose this means it is a school day then, else your time would no doubt be spent at home with your adorable Otouto... I must confess Itachi, the amount of devoted and loving attention the boy gets - _especially_just lately..._does_ tend to make me rather jealous."

Itachi silently closed the door, crossing the room with a few short steps and then coming to a stop before the seated man - who smirked up at him, with hungry eyes that hid none of his lust. Itachi rested one hand on the back of the throne like armchair and leaned down to take the man's lips in a firm, but slow and deliberate kiss. He parted his lips and allowed the other man's tongue to caress his bottom lip longingly, before pulling away with a small smirk of his own in place.

"Your jealousy just makes our time together even more delicious Madara, though I highly doubt your quite as jealous as you try to make out... If you were, we wouldn't be talking." Itachi said quietly, his lips ghosting over Madara's with every softly spoken word. Madara's smirk grew, as Itachi drew back enough to allow him to sip from his glass once more.

"It's true, most of my jealousy evaporated the moment you walked through the door... Now I just long for more of your sweet kisses." Madara's eyes sparkled with mischief and lust, as Itachi took his lips in another soft kiss - before moving away from the elder man completely and heading to the cabinet where Madara kept his glasses and liquor. He poured himself a drink without asking and gulped it down, before pouring himself a second and setting the bottle down on the top of the cabinet. He then seated himself in Madara's desk chair, leaning back with a slight grimace and a soft sigh as he stretched himself out and then took a sip from his glass. He looked across the top of his glass and observed the elder man across the room, his eyes once more raking over every detail of his handsomely chiseled features.

Itachi's eyes came to rest upon the wild mane that framed his lover's face. It was easily the longest hair he had come across in his family and there was something oddly mysterious about his long thick, spiky locks - it could be almost hypnotic at times. The corners of his lips twitched, as he caught the almost feral flash of lust from his lover. The man was clearly _very_pleased to see him and Itachi was amused by the man's unusual restraint. The thing about Madara, was that he was very upfront about things that he wanted and that made him a rather easy man to love. He preferred the more open approach in their relationship, preferred to be shown affection on a dominating level - despite being so dominant himself. Itachi once more downed the rest of his drink before quickly pouring himself a fresh one, before he then rose to his feet - and slowly crossed the room, coming to a halt just before Madara and looking down at him with a soft and mildly amused smirk.

"Madara..." He purred quietly, reaching forward with his free hand to gently brush aside the man's thick bangs. He adored Madara's hair, it was longer and much wilder than his own and was somewhat softer than his own too. He ran his fingers through the soft strands of hair, before capturing the man's cheek and gently tilting the man's face upwards so they're eyes were locked on each other. "What troubles you?" He asked softly, rubbing his thumb gently across the elder man's cheek. Madara sighed somewhat heavily, averting his eyes by looking down at the glass in his hands.

"While I am most pleased to see you, you don't seem yourself. Your drinking already, after not having even been here five minutes... and there's something else too." Madara replied, pausing for a long second before he looked up and continued. "Your worried about something. I can see it, so do not lie to me." He said, fixing the younger male with fierce eyes that blazed with concern and all the other emotions that Madara would never even dream of showing to another person in the world. Itachi sighed and leaned his forearm against the back of Madara's throne like armchair, bending over him slightly to give the man a soft but firm kiss - before pulling away and sighing once more.

"You shouldn't worry about me so much Madara..." He muttered into his glass, almost more to himself than to the other man. Madara waited patiently, knowing that Itachi would answer when he was ready and trusting that he wouldn't be cryptic with his answers - or rather, hoping he wouldn't be. Itachi took a sip of his drink and paced a few steps in front of the elder man's chair, thinking over how to word his reply so the other man would not worry over him any more than he already was.

"I have been concerned as of late... about what would happen to Sasuke, should something... unexpected ever happen to me..." Itachi said quietly, standing with his back to Madara and looking off towards the man's desk. Madara frowned, it was a dire topic - and not one he particularly relished delving into, but he was going to have to if he wanted Itachi to cease his unnecessary worrying.

"Sasuke will be fine Itachi, it's not like the boy doesn't have other family out there you know... I mean, there's me for one." He said, somewhat reluctantly. He had told the truth when he told Itachi he was jealous of Sasuke and the time they spent together and it was rather hurtful that Itachi was still thinking about the boy now that he was here with him, he certainly didn't want to have to think of that boy during his precious time with Itachi.

"Oh? So, would you take care of him then?" Itachi asked suddenly, tearing Madara from his slightly sulky thoughts with a jolt. Madara almost laughed, if not for the way Itachi turned to look at him - with desperate pleading in his concerned expression. Madara narrowed his eyes and examined the younger closely for a moment, before nodding his head cautiously. "Would you promise me that Madara? Please?" Itachi asked quietly, moving to kneel at the elder man's feet.

"... I promise you Itachi. If something ever happens to you, then I will take care of Sasuke... as best as I can..." Itachi's face was instantly flooded with relief, as he laid his head into the elders lap. He placed his glass on the floor beside the foot of the chair and raised his head, looking up at his lover with the first truly peaceful expression the man had seen on his face since he arrived.

"Thank you Madara." Itachi said, beginning to run his hands along Madara's legs and over his thighs. "Thank you..." He whispered, leaning up to claim the man's lips in a passionate kiss that was filled with gratitude and love. Madara moaned as Itachi's hands roamed over his body, causing it to bend to his every whim as the younger man expertly lapped at his lips and caressed his tongue with his own. But all too soon, the slick appendage was gone from his mouth and Itachi's head lay in his lap once more - his arms wrapped tightly around Madara's body. The elder sighed in frustration as he looked down at his younger lover, raising a hand to run his fingers through the smooth and sleek hair in an attempt to soothe the clearly troubled man.

"Itachi, just what am I to do with you? Are you worrying about your brother again?" He asked, his jealousy bubbling to the surface once more. Itachi gently shook his head to the best of his abilities, while freeing one hand to pick up his glass from the floor.

"No Madara, I'm not worrying about Sasuke..."

"Then what _are_you worrying about?" Madara cut in, halting his fingers mid-stroke as he watched the younger carefully. Itachi sighed and raised his head enough to take a sip of his drink, before laying his head back into Madara's lap.

"What would _you_ do? Should I die, I would hate for you to be saddened... I love you." He said quietly, speaking slowly as if he were reluctant to ask his question. Madara huffed a sigh of annoyance and moved his hand so that he could gently but firmly grasp Itachi's chin, forcing the younger man to look up at him.

"Itachi, you're being ridiculous. Stop with this death nonsense. I am older than you, I expect I shall be long dead before you ever die." Itachi opened his mouth to speak, but Madara swooped down and seal their lips together in a hard kiss that oozed with passionate fire, before pulling away enough that he could continue speaking. "Of course I would be sad should you die before me, but it really if foolish for you to be thinking of such things. It's not like death is predictable Itachi, it just happens. In the very unlikely outcome of your death, then I would no doubt weep for you - but I would carry on, because you've oh-so-kindly asked me to take care of your dear little Otouto..." Madara chuckled at his own little joke, before his lips were claimed in a rough kiss that nearly took his breath away. He moaned and reciprocated eagerly, but once more - all too soon, the invading appendage was gone and Itachi was pulling away to sip from his glass.

"Madara... thank you..." He said, before laying his head in the elders lap once more - gently rubbing at the man's thigh with one hand, while playing with his now empty glass with the other. Madara rolled his eyes, smiling down at his young enigma of a lover - he really was impossible to figure out. But that was half the fun of loving Itachi, as soon as you thought you knew everything about him - some new little mystery would crop up and take you by surprise.

**A/N:~ I love this fic... have just realised this while working on it... So, who likes this? Who thinks this update was worth the wait, and who is desperate for more? Let us know in a little review, and we shall see what we can do for you! (Pssst... Please take our poll's too! They help us keep**_**you**_**happy! which is always a good thing...)**

**-ItachiSasukeSama**

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	4. Like All The Rest, You'll Die In Vain

Why were hospitals so cold? It was a proven fact that cold weather was a cause of illness. How hypocritical. People liked to think that a sick person needed hospitalization, but was that really the case? When you became ill, you got shipped off to a large, cold, building. It was filled with people who were even more sick than you were – probably likely that you'd contract something more than what you already had. Although, if what the doctors said was true; that didn't really matter for Itachi Uchiha anymore. Madara sighed, and stared longingly at that fragile face. He rested a caring hand on Itachi's forehead, and tucked a stray lock of hair back into place.

"Get your filthy hands off of him," An icy voice cut in cruelly.

Madara lazily lifted his eyes to see who had entered the room. He'd have smirked if he had the energy for it, but staying up with Itachi all night while the younger man slowly dwindled away into nothingness had taken it's emotional toll, and Madara wasn't certain whether or not his face would ever display a true expression again.

"Shisui, what are you doing here?" He was pretty sure he knew, but it was customary to ask in these situations, was it not?

"Visiting Itachi, obviously. What are _you_doing here?" The younger Uchiha asked, pulling up a chair and sitting on Itachi's other side. He scooted up just as closely on Itachi's right as Madara was on his left, and took hold of his cousin's hand, stroking the too-cold flesh gently.

"I'm here for the same reason that you're here, Shisui. Have the doctors told you about his-"

"They called me at work. He'll be gone any minute now, right? So could you just _shut the fuck up_?" Shisui hissed, and both he and Madara pretended not to notice the bitter tears that were streaming down his face.

Madara took a deep and calming breath, knowing that this was a bad time to argue with this grieving young man. "I've called Sasuke's school, and sent for him." He said quietly, trying to change the subject, because he didn't feel comfortable sitting in such a tense silence.

Shisui shook his head. "He has his final exams this week, Itachi wouldn't have wanted for him to miss any of that." Under different circumstances, Madara would have called him out on his obvious tone of jealousy, but having to watch the man you love die takes a lot out of a person's soul and he found himself unable to chastise the other man for his callousness.

"I know just as well as you do what Itachi would have wanted, but Sasuke has just as much right to be here as we do." He said tiredly, gently running his fingers along Itachi's forearm.

Shisui snorted at that. "What right does he have? What has _he_gone through for Itachi? Nothing. Abso-fucking-lutely _nothing._"

Madara's annoyance increased tenfold. "Real mature, Shisui. Insult the love of Itachi's life when he's got minutes left to be living it. I'm sure that was _exactly_what he wanted to hear from you right now. Sasuke has made him _happy._Is that not enough?" He bit out. Madara may not like the truth, but he wasn't going to deny it and hope it went away.

"Sasuke is _not._ The love of Itachi's life!" Shisui snapped back. "And neither are you…" He added as a cruel afterthought, glaring at Madara's obnoxiously resigned features.

"Oh and I suppose you are?" Madara asked scathingly, turning his furious gaze upon the other man once more. Shisui opened his mouth to agree but Madara beat him to it by continuing. "Are you _truly_ that conceited to believe that Shisui? If it were true, and you know it is not, then why would Itachi even think to look elsewhere?" He demanded, to which Shisui had the decency to look momentarily ashamed of himself.

Shisui snapped his jaw shut and looked away, looking down at the man he loved and raising one hand to trace one of his cheeks softly. He then proceeded to tuck away the same strand of hair that Madara had tucked away just before him, which seemed to have a mind of it's own - unwilling to remain in it's place. Madara stiffened at the gesture but forced himself to say nothing, as much as he wanted to scream and shout that Itachi was _his_- he knew that he had no right to do so. Itachi had always made it more than clear he would never belong to one person alone.

"Look at you, haven't you even spoken to the doctors at all about alternative options?" Shisui muttered scathingly, turning his livid and watery eyes upon him once more. "Did you even _ask_if there's anything you can do to help him? No. You're just sitting with him in here, watching him waste away." Shisui's voice cracked audibly, and he sniffled and swallowed a hard lump in his throat. "If it were up to _me-_"

"It's_not_up to you, though." Madara snarled, jabbing an accusing finger at Shisui. "Itachi wouldn't want to be put on life support and lie around in a coma forever like some zombie, and even if he _had_wanted that, _you_can't afford it." He spat, his loathing for the other man in that moment almost beyond what he thought he could contain. Shisui's assumptions about Itachi were grating on his already frayed nerves, chafing at an already raw wound. "I'm the one paying for him to be here, I'm the one who drove him here after staying up with him for hours as he coughed up so much blood that there's barely a drop left in him, and I'm the one who'll be stuck with the brat after he goes, so would you _please_stop complaining, because it's not doing any help to anyone!" Madara's eyes blazed with a furious passion as he glared at the younger man, causing him to gasp when combined with his burningly harsh but clear whisper.

"Clo…ser…" They both froze at Itachi's raspy request, but obediently scooted as close as possible. He lifted his hands shakily, and caressed their cheeks, his right hand against Shisui's face, his left against Madara's. Then, he smacked them. Both of them. Hard. "Now, behave." He wheezed out, blinking his eyes open and offering a kind but obviously saddened smile. Shisui gasped. Itachi's eyes were bloodshot, and the pupils were unfocused, wandering around the room aimlessly.

"He's blind…" Shisui whispered stupidly, and then the tears were back with a vengeance. Itachi's hand traced down Madara's face, neck, shoulder, and arm, until he found his eldest lover's hand. He squeezed it, and smiled, then did the same with Shisui. For a moment the three of them were at peace together, but then there was an incoherent screech in the hallway, and not a minute later, Sasuke was bursting dramatically into the room. He ran up to Itachi's bed and threw himself down atop his brother, sobbing uncontrollably and squeezing tightly to Itachi's shoulders. Itachi weakly tried to wrap an arm over his shoulder's, but was unable to complete the gesture. Madara watched, and reluctantly raised the man's arm so that he could cradle his little brother's head lightly. Itachi's smile lightened slightly at the simple gesture.

Sasuke didn't even notice the occurrence, as he thoughtlessly pressed a forceful kiss against Itachi's barely-responding lips, clearly not caring that there were people here to see his blatant incestuous behavior. He kissed him desperately, and it stabbed into a piece of Madara and Shisui's souls cruelly. Alas, they couldn't stand the sight of it.

"You'll hurt him, get off." Shisui said rudely, attempting to push the child away.

"Get the _fuck_away from me!" Sasuke screamed, turning his head just enough to glare at Shisui so murderously that for a moment the elder Uchiha was actually terrified. Then Sasuke returned his miserable eyes to his brother, and it was clear that he didn't care about anything or anyone else in the room right now, or in the world for that matter. "Nii-San, everyone's lying, right? Right? You're… You're not really… Aniki you _can't_! Please? I still need you here with _me_! I won't let you die, I _can't_let you die! It's not true, is it? Itachi? Itachi please don-"

"They shouldn't have let you come, Otouto." Itachi barely managed to say it, and it exited his lips with much agonizing effort. Madara choked a quiet sob back in his throat as he noticed his lovers brow twisted in obvious pain, though it was hard to tell whether it was from physical pain or the emotional pain of knowing his baby brother had seen him in such a way. He was going quickly now, and they all could see it.

"Nii-san, you promised - you _promised."_Sasuke's desperate pleas tore at not only Itachi's heart but both his other lover's as well. Madara and Shisui momentarily averted their eyes at the raw display of emotion on the youngest Uchiha's face. Sasuke stared at his brother's face adoringly, almost as if he were trying to _will_the man into seeing how desperate and determined his conviction was. "I'm going to make you happy, remember? Nii-san why, _why?_ Why didn't you tell me? I could have helped, I could have-" Sasuke choked, his voice finally giving way to silent, chest-racking sobs of despair.

"Otou-to... I..." Itachi's face was tormented by his brother's obvious distress, and both Madara and Shisui could see it plainly.

"Don't strain yourself, Itachi. You don't have to speak, we'll understand." Madara said, gently running his free hand through Itachi's sinfully soft hair. Shisui grimaced, trying to contain himself as his lover struggled to speak. Sasuke wept openly but silently, lightly tracing his fingers over his brother's cheek before tucking behind his ear - the same strand of hair that Madara and Shisui had already tucked away previously.

"No, listen. It's… It's impor…tant," Itachi started, determinedly struggling for his words and wincing as they all heard the machine that monitored his heart beat slowing. "I… I love… you…"

None of them could be certain which of them he'd said it to, but before any of the could so much as think to ask - a cruel, disgusting beep was heard. The long, tortuous sound that was more painful on the ears than fingernails against a chalk board. Three faces drained of colour as the sound continued, three hearts shattering from the meaning of that dreaded note.

Itachi Uchiha's heart had stopped.

**A/N: Would you believe me if I said that I cried profusely as I wrote this? **

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